Rachel Robinson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rachel Robinson
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Robinson in 1997
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Rachel Annetta Isum
July 19, 1922 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Education | Manual Arts High School |
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| Occupation | Nurse, professor |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award (2007) Buck O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award (2017) |
Rachel Annetta Robinson (born July 19, 1922) is an amazing American woman. She was a registered nurse and a professor. She is best known as the wife of the famous baseball player, Jackie Robinson. After he passed away, she started the Jackie Robinson Foundation. This foundation helps young people get an education and become leaders.
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Rachel Robinson's Life and Work
Rachel Isum was born in Los Angeles, California. She went to Manual Arts High School and then the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). At UCLA, she met Jackie Robinson in 1941. She graduated from UCLA on June 1, 1945, with a degree in nursing.
Rachel and Jackie got married on February 10, 1946. This was the year before he became famous in major league baseball. They had three children together. Their son, Jackie Robinson Jr., was born in 1946. He sadly passed away in a car accident in 1971. Their daughter, Sharon Robinson, was born in 1950. Their son, David Robinson, was born in 1952. He now has ten children of his own.
After Jackie Robinson retired from baseball in 1956, Rachel continued her nursing career. She earned a master's degree in psychiatric nursing from New York University in 1959. She worked as a researcher and doctor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She held this job for five years. Later, she became a professor at Yale School of Nursing. She also became the Director of Nursing at the Connecticut Mental Health Center.
In 1972, Rachel started the Jackie Robinson Development Corporation. This company built homes for people with low to moderate incomes. She was the president of this company for ten years. In 1973, she founded the Jackie Robinson Foundation. This non-profit group helps minority students get an education. It also helps them develop leadership skills. The Foundation has supported over 1,000 students. An amazing 97% of these students have graduated from college.
In 1996, Rachel co-wrote a book called Jackie Robinson: An Intimate Portrait. She wrote it with Lee Daniels.
Awards and Special Honors
Rachel Robinson has received many important awards. In 2007, she was given the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award. This award came from Commissioner Bud Selig.
In 2009, she received the UCLA Medal. This is the highest honor from the University of California, Los Angeles. It celebrates people who have made amazing contributions to their jobs and to society. Rachel has also received twelve honorary doctorates. She was given the Candace Award for Distinguished Service. Other awards include the Equitable Life Black Achiever's Award. She also received the Associated Black Charities Black History Makers Award.
In 2014, Rachel was added to the Shrine of the Eternals. In 2017, she received the Buck O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award. This award came from the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
About the Jackie Robinson Foundation
The Jackie Robinson Foundation is a non-profit organization. It gives scholarships to minority students for college and graduate school. It also helps these students become leaders. The foundation works to keep the memory of Jackie Robinson alive. Rachel Robinson founded it in 1973. Its main office is in New York City.
The foundation's motto is: "JRF has provided college and graduate school scholarships as well as leadership development opportunities for highly motivated students of color with limited financial resources." This means they help bright students who might not have enough money for college.
Portrayals in Film
Rachel Robinson has been shown in movies. Ruby Dee played her in the 1950 film The Jackie Robinson Story. Nicole Beharie played her in the 2013 film 42.
Rachel Robinson's Personal Life
On July 19, 2022, Rachel Robinson turned 100 years old! She is a centenarian, meaning she is 100 or older. She currently lives on a 60-acre farm in Salem, Connecticut.
See also
